Reading Orwell: Animal Farm and 1984

In our unit on 1930’s world history, students are reading the novel Animal Farmas well as an excerpt ” The Two Minutes Hate” from 1984, both byGeorge Orwell. Orwell’s novels and characters have become cultural catchphrases to reference criticism of totalitarian dictatorships, or even any unwanted restrictions on personal freedom.

For example, 1984 was adapted by Apple Computers to make what is one of the most famous TV commercials of all time:

This commercial, in turn, was recently mashed-up by supporters of Senator Barack Obama and turned into a political commercial critical of Senator Hillary Clinton: